1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a charging connector connectable to a vehicle-side connector that is connected to a battery in a vehicle when the battery is charged.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 5,820,395 discloses a charging connector that can be connected to a vehicle-side connector to charge a battery in a vehicle. The charging connector has a fitting that is connectable to the vehicle-side connector. The fitting is attached to a case body and the case body has a forward opening. A front end portion of the fitting projects forward from the opening. A lever extends forward from the interior of the case body and a lock at the front end of the lever holds the charging connector and the vehicle-side connector in a connected state. The lock is near a middle position between the opening of the case body and the front end of the fitting. Further, a protective wall extends from the opening of the case body to the lock and covers the lever.
The length of the lever of the above-described charging connector may be increased for design reasons. The lock of this longer lever may be at the front end of the connector fitting and can be covered by the protective wall. However, the lock is more likely to interfere with a front end of the vehicle-side connector at the time of connection and hence is subject to an impact. Further, the lock can collide with a protruding object on the ground if the charging connector is dropped by mistake at the time of separation. Thus, the lock of the above-described charging connector is subject to damage.
The invention was developed in view of the above situation and an object is to improve an impact resistance of a lock.